THE YUKON - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 654

Bordered by Alaska, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Arctic Ocean,
the Yukon sits like a great upside-down wedge at the northwestern corner of Canada. Wil-
derness and history enriched by the Klondike Gold Rush combine to create a unique des-
tination, very different from the rest of Canada, but easily accessible by road from British
Columbia. The massive St. Elias Mountains pass through the territory's southwest corner,
while the rest of the Yukon is a huge expanse of rolling hills, long narrow lakes, and boreal
forests that give way to rolling tundra north of the Arctic Circle.
The territorial human population is just 31,000, almost 75 percent of them living in the
capital, Whitehorse. One of the world's largest northern cities, this bustling city is filled
with Gold Rush history, but is also a great place to soak up city luxuries before heading into
the wilderness. In addition to modern hotels, Whitehorse boasts a couple of golf courses,
great biking and canoeing, good food, and an unexpected surprise, simply divine coffee
roasted within city limits. From the capital, the Alaska Highway draws many road warriors
farther west, passing by the magnificent wilderness of Kluane National Park before jogging
north to Alaska. The Klondike Highway runs 536 kilometers (333 miles) from Whitehorse
to Dawson City, site of the world's most frenzied gold rush.
PLANNING YOUR TIME
Although the days of needing multiple spare tires and extra gas cans for the trip north to the
Yukon are long gone, the trip north does require that you plan ahead insofar as scheduling
goes—it's still a very long drive from everywhere. You need to allow at least two days just
for the Dawson Creek to Whitehorse section of the Alaska Highway (1471 kilometers/914
miles), plus the drive from your original destination to Dawson Creek, which is one day's
drive from Edmonton and two day's driving from Vancouver. In addition to the four days
travel time along the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, add in a minimum of four days
in the Yukon. For the amount of driving involved, this isn't a very practical option, and
therefore you should allow at least six days in the Yukon for a 10-day trip from Dawson
Creek.